Dear Friend,
Last year, 109,680 people in the US died from drugs, and every year that number has been rising. We have spent $1 trillion and continue to spend $100 billion annually on the failed War on Drugs, and over half of our prison population is incarcerated on drug-related charges. For a fraction of this ineffectual spending, we could build a national network of world-class treatment and recovery services available to all at no cost. Drug addiction is a symptom of the wider malaise in our society, and punishing people for it does nothing to address its root causes.
My administration will end the War on Drugs while stopping the overdose crisis. My drug policy includes four core pillars: ending prohibition, harm reduction (safer supply and supervised consumption sites), addiction treatment and recovery, and giving Americans better lives.
1. Ending prohibition
Addiction is a health issue, not a criminal one, and people suffering from it need help, not incarceration. I would start by legalizing less harmful drugs such as cannabis and psilocybin and then move to decriminalizing other drugs after building up harm reduction and addiction treatment infrastructure. Finally, I would work toward a framework for full legal regulation.
2. Harm reduction: Safer supply and supervised consumption sites
The harm reduction approach recognizes that not everyone is going to abstain from all harmful drugs forever, so we must get people using drugs to do so in the least harmful way possible. Safer supply programs provide those at high risk of overdose with their drugs, but these drugs would be regulated and tested by the government instead of coming from the dangerous, black market. Supervised consumption sites allow people to use their safer supply of drugs and paraphernalia while under medical supervision in a designated environment. On top of saving many lives – this would solve the issue of public drug use on the street.
3. Addiction treatment and recovery
For a fraction of what we spend on the failed drug war, I will build a national network of world-class treatment and recovery services available to all for free. Treatment must be based on the principle that anyone who wants help must get it immediately and at no cost or other barriers. If people have to wait months or longer to get treatment, they might be dead by the time it arrives. Recovery programs will also include education, housing, and job support.
4. Giving Americans better lives
Drug addiction is merely a symptom of an underlying malaise. I want to help create a society in which the rampant despair that is killing so many people does not exist. When every American has a right to housing, food, education, childcare, healthcare (including mental healthcare), a good union job, and all other necessities, then far fewer people will become addicted to harmful drugs. That is why my Economic Bill of Rights is a crucial pillar of solving the overdose epidemic and many of the major issues our country faces.
Please give what you can so that we can end the madness and bring about sensible drug policy to save millions of lives.
